scanninghttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/6768/all
enScanbot Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/scanbot_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>No matter how many different scanners we've tested over the years, we've still yet to find a truly elegant solution. Whether we're making digital reproductions with our all-in-one desktop printers or copying paper with the massive units in our offices, we're constantly stymied by jams, blurry images, and slow, clunky interfaces. Even the simple, camera-based apps on our iPhones have their shortcomings, and we often find ourselves retaking and cropping images until we get them right.</p><p>With a gorgeous interface and a good developer pedigree, we had high hopes for Scanbot. There's a clean, simple aesthetic that runs through every screen, helping you capture and organize your documents with ease. The priority here is speed, as Scanbot's foolproof interface can attest to, but it doesn't come at the expense of professional features, including high-resolution output, a low-light indicator, and automatic edge detection. Our final products weren't always perfect, but the powerful cropping tool and one-touch enhancer fine-tuned things nicely.</p><p><img src="/files/u338318/2014/04/scanbot.png" width="620" height="548" /></p><p>Scanbot is the first app from the creators of the now-defunct doo storage service, so we were hardly surprised to see a tight integration with the cloud—but we weren't expecting such comprehensive synergy. Nearly every major service is represented, and you can set your image to automatically upload to your favorite. It’s a much better method than the standard save-and-email strategy most of the other scanner apps use, though you can still clutter up your Camera Roll if you so desire.</p><p>The app’s interface does a nice job of prompting you with tips on how to take better scans, but we would have liked a little more control over our documents, most notably a perspective or skew tool to straighten crooked scans and flatten folds. Also, we wish we were able to organize our scan into folders instead of rushing off to the cloud every time, and we had some issues with moving and resizing the digital signature.</p><p><strong>The bottom line.</strong> Scanbot certainly isn't the first scanning app for the iPhone, but it might be the first one we actually use regularly.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scanbot-pdf-scanner-multipage/id834854351?mt=8" target="_blank">Scanbot 1.0.1</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
doo GmbH </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.scanbot.io" target="_blank">www.scanbot.io</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$0.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 7.0 or later</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Clean interface that makes scanning a breeze. Excellent integration with cloud services. Powerful automation tools and editing features.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>No in-app organization. Missing pro tools to straighten scans. Digital signature buggy and confusing to work with.</p> </div>
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</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/scanbot_review#commentsReviewsapp store reviewsAppLifeAppsDocumentsDooiPod and iPhonePhotosproductivityProductivity SoftwareScanbotscannerscanningSoftwareiPhoneiPodThu, 17 Apr 2014 17:38:24 +0000Michael Simon19770 at http://www.maclife.comPDFpen Scan+ Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/pdfpen_scan_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>Smile Software is a name familiar to Mac users for Acrobat-style productivity tools like PDFpen, which recently made the leap to iOS. Now the company is back with a companion app for scanning documents and converting text to editable format, but it doesn’t yet deliver on either front.<br /><br />PDFpen Scan+ is similar to Readdle’s Scanner Pro, which allows an iOS device's camera to be used as a portable scanner. Snapped documents can be cropped (automatic or manual), enhanced, and saved as color, black-and-white, or grayscale PDF files, and then shared in a variety of ways. Smile has gone the extra mile by adding optical character recognition (OCR), which is an optional step after the file is saved. This task takes several minutes to perform, only to produce unformatted text that has to be copied and pasted into another app. We found the OCR results to be wildly inaccurate in most cases, however.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u325188/2013/09/screen_51.png" width="620" height="373" /></p><p>The app performs better as a scanner, although edge detection for automatic cropping tended to be hit or miss, even with a white piece of paper on a dark background. Thankfully, it’s easy enough to adjust edges using just a finger, and the app guides users through the process. Aside from the option to install additional OCR languages, PDFpen Scan+ features a single setting for turning iCloud backup on or off. This allows the universal app to sync scanned documents between multiple devices, while individual files can be shared via email, other apps, WebDAV, FTP, or popular cloud services including Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, and Box.<br /><br />We had high hopes for PDFpen Scan+, but until some of these issues are addressed, we’d have to recommend Scanner Pro as a more robust mobile scanner, along with <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/pixter_scanner_ocr_review" target="_blank">Pixter Scanner OCR</a>, which more reliably produces plain-text OCR that can actually be saved within the app for later use.<br /><br /><strong>The bottom line</strong>. PDFpen Scan+ has promise, but it’s lacking better control over how files are saved and the OCR isn’t yet accurate enough to be useful.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pdfpen-scan+-ocr-pdf-text/id685513192?mt=8" target="_blank">PDFpen Scan+ 1.0</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Smile Software </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="http://www.smilesoftware.com" target="_blank">http://www.smilesoftware.com</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
$4.99 </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 6.0 or later</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Mobile scanning and OCR in one app. Wide range of sharing options. Scanned documents can be saved in color, black and white, or grayscale.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Inaccurate OCR. Automatic edge detection is hit or miss. Unformatted text can only be copied and pasted into other apps.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/pdfpen_scan_review#commentsReviewsapp store reviewsAppLifecameraiPadiPhone and iPod AppsOCRPDFPDFpenreviewsscanningSmile SoftwareSoftwaresoftwareiPadiPhoneiPodMon, 30 Sep 2013 16:35:59 +0000J.R. Bookwalter18191 at http://www.maclife.comDoo Document Organizer & Scanner (iOS) Reviewhttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/doo_document_organizer_scanner_ios_review
<!--paging_filter--><p>Until Apple opens up the iOS file system — and don't hold your breath waiting for that — we'll likely continue to be reliant on cloud services to transport our files to and from our Macs. There's no shortage of ways to do this, but keeping track of everything can be daunting, especially if we can't remember where (or if) we uploaded a file. Doo attempts to solve this problem with a master cloud service that brings all of our files under one roof. <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/doo_document_organizer_review" target="_blank">On our Macs</a>, it definitely simplified things, but it was missing a mobile component to make it truly useful. Doo for iOS opens the service up to our iPhones and iPads, but unfortunately, it isn't the stellar complement we hoped it would be.</p><p>At first glance, having Doo on your iOS device(s) seems like a dream come true. Launching the app instantly brings up a full list of your synced files in a neat list with thumbnails and time stamps. A sidebar lets you easily switch between storage locations, and a live search field helps quickly sort through large piles of documents and pictures. You can't create or edit new documents in Doo, but a nifty capture tool uses your camera to scan pieces of paper that need digitizing.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.maclife.com/files/u325188/2013/09/main_1.png" width="620" height="367" /></p><p>Doo does a fine job of collecting your files, but we found the app to mostly be a clunky, inferior version of the Mac app. While it was nice to see the files that were otherwise stuck in our documents folder on our office computers, Doo made us jump through several hoops to actually do anything with them. There's no way to organize things, so you'll be using the search field quite a bit. Editing requires several taps to get to the sharing screen, and the action bar didn't let us apply tags or flags. We experienced several crashes and error messages while trying to access files, and the iPad app, which can only be used in portrait orientation, adds nothing to the experience despite all that extra space.<br /><br /><strong>The bottom line</strong>. Doo does what it's supposed to do, but we just wish it did it a little better.</p><fieldset class="fieldgroup group-the-bottom-line"><legend>Review Synopsis</legend><div class="field field-type-text field-field-product">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Product:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/doo-document-organizer-scanner/id454738553?mt=8" target="_blank">Doo Document Organizer &amp; Scanner 2.1</a></p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-company">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Company:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Doo GmbH </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-contact">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Contact:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>http://www.doo.net</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-price">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Price:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Free </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-requirements">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Requirements:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 6.1 or later</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-positives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Positives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>Simple interface. Easy access to files stored on your Mac. Good scanning tool.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-negatives">
<div class="field-label"><p><strong>Negatives:</strong>&nbsp;<p></div>
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<!--paging_filter--><p>No organization. Little interaction with files. Some crashes. Lame iPad support.</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/doo_document_organizer_scanner_ios_review#commentsReviewsapp store reviewsAppLifecloudDocumentsDooiPad AppsiPhone and iPodiPod and iPhonePDFsreviewsscanningSoftwaresoftwareiPadThu, 12 Sep 2013 14:00:15 +0000Michael Simon18032 at http://www.maclife.comVueScan Adds Support for 300+ Brother Scannershttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/vuescan_adds_support_300_brother_scanners
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/vuescan_icon_200px.png" alt="VueScan" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />It may be a great time to be a Mac user thanks to wide software support, but one area manufacturers could still do a better job is with scanner drivers. Thankfully, they don't have to, because VueScan does it for them.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hamrick.com/" target="_blank">Hamrick Software announced Thursday</a> that the company now supports <a href="http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/vuescan.htm#supported" target="_blank">more than 2,100 different scanner models</a> -- including 339 from Brother alone, with the current version 9.2.10 released this week.<br /><br />Available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux, VueScan is the model of simplicity: Plug in a supported scanner and it just works, even without messy drivers from manufacturers such as Brother.<br /><br />"We have had numerous requests from Brother customers asking us for help, and we are pleased that we have added support for such a large number of desktop scanners," explains VueScan developer Ed Hamrick. "We are especially pleased to have added support for so many Brother scanners to our new product, VueScan Mobile, which now supports more than 570 HP, Canon, Epson and Brother scanners."<br /><br />The company's $4.99 <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vuescan-mobile/id450984682?mt=8" target="_blank">VueScan Mobile</a> app is available for both iOS and Android, working in conjunction with Wi-Fi-enabled scanners to create multi-page PDF files and full document feeder and duplex support at the highest resolution available. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vuescan-mobile-free/id486283293?mt=8" target="_blank">A free version is also available</a>, but is limited to 300dpi and JPEG only export.<br /><br />With the latest version of the desktop VueScan software, Brother scanners no longer require ICA drivers. "This means you just plug in your Brother scanner, run VueScan and you’re immediately scanning,"&nbsp; Hamrick added.<br /><br />VueScan Desktop is available in $39.95 Standard and $79.95 Professional editions; the latter offers free unlimited upgrades as well as IT8 color calibration and support for RAW scan files. A fully functional free trial version is <a href="http://www.hamrick.com/" target="_blank">also available from the Hamrick website</a>.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/vuescan_adds_support_300_brother_scanners#commentsNewsApp StoreBrotherDriversHamrick SoftwaremanufacturersscannersscanningVueScanVueScan MobileWi-FiiPadiPhoneiPodMacFri, 15 Mar 2013 12:30:17 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16494 at http://www.maclife.comFirst Look: Readdle Scanner Pro 4.0http://www.maclife.com/article/features/first_look_readdle_scanner_pro_40
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_header_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>While the iOS App Store success coined the phrase “There’s an app for that,” Apple couldn’t have done it alone. The ingenuity and creativity of third-party developers is a very big reason the iOS platform has grown, and companies like Readdle have been pioneers almost longer than anyone with inventive apps such as Scanner Pro.<br /><br />Readdle has announced the release of <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scanner-pro-scan-multipage/id333710667?mt=8" target="_blank">Scanner Pro 4.0</a>, a major update to the company’s portable scanning app. While users can always snap a quick photo of a document to call up when needed, Scanner Pro offers extensive features such as automatic edge detection for creating PDF files that match the original page size, along with a variety of options for sharing them.<br /><br />The company offered us an early peek at Scanner Pro 4.0, which is now a universal app for native support on the iPad as well as iPhone/iPod touch. While the new iPad is recommended for getting the best results thanks to its five-megapixel camera, the app is also compatible with the iPad 2 and features a slick new user interface optimized for the larger, Retina Display screen.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_settings_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Settings" width="620" height="465" /></p><p>Scanner Pro 4.0 opens as a blank canvas -- a Settings button at top left opens a pop-up for adding your account information for Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs or a WebDAV server, any or all of which you can choose to upload newly scanned documents to. The app also becomes a Wi-Fi hard drive when opened for transferring documents to and from a Mac or PC, but this can be disabled from Settings as well.<br /><br />Before you start scanning, be sure to check the Default Page Size setting -- it’s set for European A4 by default since Readdle is based in Ukraine, but users in the U.S. will likely want the more standard Letter size instead. If you want to compress your scanned PDF documents to save on storage space, tick the slider. Last but not least, users can also establish a passcode lock to keep their scanned documents safe from prying eyes.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scannner_pro_4_main_screen_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Main screen" width="620" height="465" /></p><p>With setup out of the way, choose from one of two icons at the bottom of the screen -- camera mode for scanning new paper documents, or you can open an existing file from your photo albums.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_camera_mode_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Camera mode" width="620" height="465" /><br /><br />Camera mode is where Scanner Pro 4.0 really shines. By default, the large display on the iPad features a grid overlay to help line up your document, but this can be disabled by tapping the option at lower right. When you’re ready to scan, tap the Camera icon and hold the iPad steady as the app does its magic.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_change_page_size_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Change page size" width="620" height="465" /><br /><br />Now you’ll have the opportunity to adjust the document borders by grabbing the handles at each edge and moving them into place. The app does a great job of this automatically, but tapping “Find Borders” will also do the trick. If you need to adjust the page size before saving, tap the button with the current size and make a selection. Tap the Done button when finished.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_adjustments_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Adjustments" width="620" height="465" /><br /><br />While most documents will “scan” just fine, Scanner Pro 4.0 gives you the choice of choosing how you want to save the document: Photo, Document or Grayscale. You can also rotate to correct vertical documents which may have been scanned horizontally to match the iPad screen, as well as contrast and brightness to make the document more readable.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_sharing_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Sharing" width="620" height="465" /><br /><br />Your new document is now ready to share with the world, and Readdle has left no stone unturned here. Tap the Share arrow in the upper right corner and documents can be shared via email, Photos (Camera Roll), Print, Upload To, Open In as well as password-protected and even sent by Fax for an additional in-app fee of 99 cents each.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_send_to_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Send to" width="620" height="465" /><br /><br />New documents can be uploaded to any of the four services where you entered your credentials in Settings -- Dropbox, Google Docs, Evernote or WebDAV. Pages can also be opened as either JPEG or PDF in other iPad apps.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_rename_document_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Rename document" width="620" height="465" /><br /><br />After you close out of your document and return to the main screen (which now shows a thumbnail of your scanned document), you’ll be presented with the option to rename it to something more descriptive.</p><p><img src="/files/u220903/scanner_pro_4_documents_screen_620px.png" alt="Scanner Pro 4.0: Documents screen" width="620" height="465" /><br /><br />Scans can be sorted by Name or Date, and once you have a lot of them, a Search icon can be used to find one in a snap (although it only searches the document name, not its contents). Last but not least, Scanner Pro 4.0 can keep your documents organized by folder for those of us who prefer the maximum in organization.<br /><br />Despite all of these great new features for iPad users, Readdle has made <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scanner-pro-scan-multipage/id333710667?mt=8" target="_blank">Scanner Pro 4.0</a> a free update for existing iPhone customers, and the one-time price of $6.99 gets the same app for new users. Scanner Pro 4.0 hit the App Store on Tuesday morning and the 20.6MB download is compatible with all devices running iOS 4.3 or later.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/features/first_look_readdle_scanner_pro_40#commentsApp Storeapp updatesDocumentsDropboxEvernoteGoogle Docsnew ipadPDFreaddleScanner ProscanningFeaturesiPadWed, 11 Apr 2012 15:16:52 +0000J.R. Bookwalter13783 at http://www.maclife.comHow to Go Completely Paperless with your Machttp://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_go_completely_paperless_your_mac
<!--paging_filter--><p>Here's a fun little weekend project: go completely paperless with your Mac. By doing so, you can finally get rid of that filing cabinet and get into the digital groove with the help of a scanner and a few utility apps.<br /><br />Read and we'll discuss the hardware and software that you need to go paperless, along with tips for converting your physical files into digital ones, encrypting them, and storing them in the cloud.&nbsp;</p><h2>The Pros and Cons of Going Paperless</h2><p>Going paperless has a few things going for it. First of all, you eliminate clutter when you scan in receipts and things and store them on your hard drive rather than in a shoebox under your desk. Secondly, if you run a small business from home or just need an easy-to-access archive, it's easier to store and search important documents this way rather than filing them away in a filing cabinet.<br /><br />As for downsides, well, there's always the fear that your hard drive will crash and lose everything. But, that's why we back up our important documents once, twice over.</p><h2>The Software and Tools You’ll Need</h2><p>You'll need a few tools and applications to help you make the switch. The first of which is a good scanner, <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/doxie_go_and_neatreceipts_portable_scanner_review" target="_blank">and either of these will do</a>. The second is an arsenal of applications to help you get started. If you decided to go with something like the <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/doxie_go_and_neatreceipts_portable_scanner_review" target="_blank">Neat Receipts scanner</a>, then you should already be set with some very basic software. But if you already have a scanner and no software to accompany it, read on.</p><h3><a href="https://www.marinersoftware.com/products/paperless/" target="_blank">Paperless ($49.99 - Mariner Software)</a></h3><h4><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/paperless_overview.png"><img src="/files/u12635/paperless_overview.png" width="620" height="465" style="border: 1px solid black;" class="thickbox" /></a></h4><p>Paperless is especially one of our favorite applications because it was created specifically for users looking to scan their documents into the digital sphere. Paperless has an iTunes-style interface that lets you easily scan single or multi-page documents into an archive. You can sort those files using categories and tags, and set up Smart Folders. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer any online storage options, which is why you'd go with the next application...&nbsp;</p><h3><a href="http://www.evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote (Free - $4.99/month - Evernote)</a></h3><h3><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/evernote_overview.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/evernote_overview.jpg" width="620" height="395" class="thickbox" /></a></h3><p>Evernote stores your documents across multiple computers and iOS devices. It's the only cross-platform application featured in this article that also lets you access your data through your iOS (or Android) device. As an added bonus, the paid Evernote plan lets you store as many documents as you want in the cloud. You can upload virtually anything, and it's all searchable within the cloud. The only caveat is that the free version offers only limited uploads per month, and there's no direct scan-to feature. And if you're looking for privacy, Evernote only encyrpts plain text, which is a bummer if you prefer PDFs.&nbsp;</p><h3><a href="http://yepthat.com/yep/index.html" target="_blank">Yep! ($19.99 - Ironic Software)</a></h3><h4><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/yep_overview.png"><img src="/files/u12635/yep_overview.png" width="620" height="314" class="thickbox" /></a></h4><p>For a cheaper alternative to Paperless, and something that's not as simple as Evernote, Yep! is a great tool for easily organizing scanned PDFs, images, and anything else you need to archive. It has a clean interface and though it doesn't archive your things in list-view, it organizes everything with tags and categories. You can then search by tag, category, title, or even through the OCR’d document to find exactly what you’re looking for. Like Evernote, Yep! doesn't have any built-in security options, nor does it offer cloud storage, but it's cheaper than Paperless and good for mass storage of crucial documents.&nbsp;</p><h2>Selecting a Scanner</h2><p>There are many different types of scanning solutions, from all-in-one printers to standalone scanners. We prefer the latter because standalone scanners are typically higher quality than those found on all-in-one solutions, and because they are more portable.</p><p><img src="/files/u12635/scansnap_overview.jpg" width="200" height="212" /><br /><br />Right now, our favorite line of scanners is the <a href="http://scansnap.fujitsu.com/" target="_blank">Fujitsu ScanSnap scanners</a>. Ranging from a smaller, more portable scanner (S1100), to more business-style scanners, the ScanSnap line has something for everyone. If you are considering the purchase of a new scanner, you may want to take a look at a ScanSnap. Also, there are the <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/doxie_go_and_neatreceipts_portable_scanner_review" target="_blank">Doxie Go and NeatReceipts scanners</a>.</p><h2>OCR Software, and Why You Want It</h2><p>Optical Character Recognition, OCR, is a tool that will extract only the words from a scan. OCR has two main uses when scanning documents: first, it can automatically make your PDFs searchable, and second, it can convert your scanned documents into plain-text ready for you to paste into Word or Pages to re-create the scanned document. <br /><br />Many scanning applications usually come with OCR, but if your scanner doesn’t have OCR capabilities, or you don’t wish to purchase an OCR application separately, you can still use a service like Evernote to make the scanned images searchable after the fact.&nbsp;</p><h2>Scanning Your Documents</h2><p>You need to scan in your documents at a DPI (dots-per-inch) resolution of at least 200 dpi for color/grayscale, and at least 400 dpi for black and white scans. Remember, however, that setting the resolution too high will lead to larger file sizes. Some scanners, such as the ScanSnap line, have the ability to automatically set the resolution.&nbsp;</p><h3>Paperless</h3><p><img src="/files/u12635/paperless_scan_3.png" width="533" height="162" /></p><p>To scan a document in Paperless, insert your document into your scanner, and then press the “Scan” or “Scan Multi” buttons in the toolbar. The Scan button will perform a single-page scan, while the “Scan Multi” button will perform a multi-page scan.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/paperless_scan_2.png"><img src="/files/u12635/paperless_scan_2.png" width="620" height="357" class="thickbox" /></a><br />When you click either button, your scanner interface will automatically appear and begin scanning your documents.</p><h3>Yep!</h3><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/yep_scanning.png"><img src="/files/u12635/yep_scanning.png" width="620" height="477" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>Click File &gt; Scan New Document to open the scanning interface in Yep!. Select your scanner, and then press the Scan Page button to begin scanning the first page. You will need to swap out pages and then press the scan button again to scan another page into the PDF. When you have finished scanning, and have entered all of the metadata in the side panel, click the “Create PDF” button.</p><h3>Evernote</h3><p>Evernote does not offer a scanning interface to automatically scan your documents within the application. However, you can drag and drop any documents scanned by your scanner app onto the Evernote icon to create a new document. Some scanners, including the ScanSnap, also allow you to scan directly into Evernote. Check to see if your scanner supports this feature.</p><h2>Storage of Scanned Documents</h2><p><img src="/files/u12635/hdd.png" width="280" height="150" /></p><p>If you plan to scan a lot of documents into your Mac, then you may want to take a look at an external storage solution (especially if you are using a portable Mac). External drive prices are becoming lower cost, and when you need a lot of storage, they are the way to go. Consider, too, cloud solutions like <a href="http://dollydrive.com" target="_blank">Dolly Drive</a>.&nbsp;</p><h2>Securing Your Scanned Documents</h2><p>Two of the tools that we’ve covered features built-in security features that let you hide your important scanned documents from prying eyes. Lets take a look at how Evernote and Paperless are able to secure your documents.</p><h3>Evernote</h3><p>Unfortunately, Evernote only allows the encryption of plain text inside of a note. Luckily, if you have OCR software with your scanner, you can turn your document into plain text-ready to copy into a new Evernote note.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/evernote_encrypt_1.png"><img src="/files/u12635/evernote_encrypt_1.png" width="620" height="440" style="border: 1px solid black;" class="thickbox" /></a><br /><br />Once pasted into Evernote, select the text, and then right-click on the text and select “Encrypt Selected Text.”</p><p><img src="/files/u12635/evernote_encrypt_2.png" width="554" height="583" /><br />In the new window that appears, type in a passphrase, and then reenter the passphrase to verify it. You can optionally enter a passphrase hint. Click OK when done.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/evernote_encrypt_3.png"><img src="/files/u12635/evernote_encrypt_3.png" width="620" height="375" style="border: 1px solid black;" class="thickbox" /></a><br /><br />The encrypted text will appear as small dots in the note. To decrypt it, click on the dots, and then select “Show Encrypted Text.” You will be prompted for the passphrase that you entered earlier, and then the text will be shown.</p><h3>Paperless</h3><p><img src="/files/u12635/paperless_secure.png" width="551" height="333" /></p><p>Paperless is a bit easier to configure for security. When creating a new Paperless library, check the “Encrypt library” checkbox. When you click the Create button, Paperless will ask for a passphrase to encrypt the library with (you will also need to specify this passphrase whenever you open an encrypted library). <br /><br /><em>Cory Bohon is a freelance technology writer, indie Mac and iOS developer, and amateur photographer. Follow this article's author, <a href="http://twitter.com/coryb/" target="_blank">Cory Bohon on Twitter</a>.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_go_completely_paperless_your_mac#commentsEvernoteMacPaperlessscannerscanningscansnapYepMacHow-TosFri, 09 Mar 2012 19:55:49 +0000Cory Bohon13461 at http://www.maclife.comAmazon Releases "Price Check" iPhone Apphttp://www.maclife.com/article/iphone/amazon_releases_price_check_iphone_app
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220907/amazon_logo_0.jpg" alt="amazon_logo_0" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />With Black Friday and Cyber Monday drawing nigh, it can never hurt to have another resource to help you score the best deals on the best gifts, right?&nbsp; Amazon released a new iPhone app today called Price Check, that gives you a new way to go about comparison shopping.<br /><br />The new app lets users scan the barcode of a product, take a picture of an item or even say the product's name to be able to access product listings on Amazon.com's marketplace.&nbsp; If a user happens to get a match on Amazon's site, they can then go ahead and purchase it with one click.&nbsp; But not only will a barcode scan give you pricing from Amazon.com, but other online retailers as well.<br /><br />Another feature is that you can use the app to take a picture of an item and match it up to books, DVDs, CDs and video games (Amazon's planning on adding even more categories soon).&nbsp; <br /><br />By default, the app will display prices sorted from low to high and will even give you a heads up if you can score free shipping.&nbsp; The company says that Price Check gives prices on "millions of products" and gives access to customer reviews; sharing via Twitter, Facebook, text message or e-mail link; and immediate purchasing through 1-Click ordering and Amazon Prime.<br /><br /><em>via <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/22/amazons-new-iphone-app-offers-in-store-price-comparisons-one-click-purchases/">TechCrunch</a></em><br /><em><br />Follow this article's author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mtilmann">Matthew Tilmann on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/iphone/amazon_releases_price_check_iphone_app#commentsNewsAmazonAppsPrice CheckscanningiPhoneTue, 23 Nov 2010 03:54:39 +0000Matthew Tilmann9025 at http://www.maclife.com